RHOC fans shame Meghan Edmonds for being honest about life as a stepmom

Few things are quite as challenging as becoming a stepparent, but in our rush-to-judgment society, that might not be something any stepmom or stepdad wants to admit. Real Housewives of Orange County star Meghan King Edmonds is taking heat from her fans after making some comments about her stepkids that many perceived as her bashing her children.

Edmonds, who's a stepmom to her husband's four children, recently announced that she's pregnant with her first baby. In a chat on Twitter, a fan asked her if she felt like her bond with her stepkids would change now that she's expecting a biological child. Edmonds responded that she loves all of her children equally, but admitted that her bond differs with each of them. It's a fact most parents — biological or not — can relate to, but fans quickly took it as a dis to her stepchildren, especially considering the drama she's had with her stepdaughter Hayley.

Back in June, Edmonds revealed that 18-year-old Hayley had moved out of her home due to their rocky relationship. Edmonds blamed teen hormones and Hayley's lack of excitement about becoming a big sister to her child, but after her recent comments on Twitter, fans think Edmonds is probably to blame. They even accused her of being self-centered and said she's not ready to be the kind of mom she needs to be to all of her kids.

Edmonds might stumble over the questions she gets asked, but it's hardly fair to judge her ability to be a mother or a stepmother based on a 140-character tweet. Navigating life as a stepmom is extremely difficult. There's so much pressure to establish a loving, trusting relationship with your stepkids, but there are also so many emotions and transitions to work through. Edmonds is doing the best she can to be a good mom to four children, with another one on the way, and that's no easy task.

We're quick to judge people when they say they're struggling or dare to admit that everything in their lives isn't perfect behind closed doors, but what parents like Edmonds need more than anything is support. We should be allowed to talk about the difficult, scary, overwhelming and emotionally exhausting parts of being a parent or a stepparent — not because we want to bash anyone, but because it makes us feel less alone and helps us work through our problems by hearing from other people who've been there.

It's impossible for anyone who's outside looking in to really say how Edmonds feels about her kids. But chances are, she's trying her hardest to be a good mom and juggling a ton of stress. The fact that she opened up about that is brave, not shameful, and no stepmom or stepdad should ever be made to feel bad for admitting that merging two families isn't always a stroll in the park.